Written answers
Tuesday, 7 October 2025
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
Airport Policy
Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
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99. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to confirm the plans to develop a new terminal three at Dublin Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53583/25]
Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
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100. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his Department will support the development of a new terminal three at Dublin Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53584/25]
Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
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101. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his plans to lift the passenger cap at Dublin Airport is to facilitate the development of a new terminal three at Dublin Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53585/25]
Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 to 101, inclusive, together.
Our National Aviation Policy recognises the strategic importance of Dublin Airport to meeting national, social and economic policy goals and includes the objective to develop Dublin Airport as a secondary hub airport.
My plan to lift the passenger cap at Dublin Airport is to deliver on a commitment in the Programme for Government in which this Government committed to work with stakeholders to achieve our objective of lifting the passenger cap; it is unrelated to any potential development of a new terminal at Dublin Airport.
It is also recognised that the challenge facing Dublin Airport at present is not solely in relation to lifting the 32m cap on passengers and that development of the airport in terms of its infrastructure capacity is also required. In order to facilitate growth at the airport, you will be aware that daa submitted a planning application in December 2023 - the so called “Infrastructure Application” which seeks not only to raise the passenger cap to 40m passengers but also for the development of several capacity enhancing projects including new piers and aircraft stands along with a new Integrated Transport Centre.
Last week I secured the approval of Government to pursue a legislative course of action to remove the passenger cap taking account of applicable EU law; and to progress the development of a general scheme and associated heads of Bill in this regard.
I am keen to pursue this legislative path to mitigate the recognised risks to our broader economy around the passenger cap remaining in place including:
- restrictions it may place on our economic growth, business and the development of new markets for tourism and trade;
- reputational damage for Ireland where capacity is restricted at our main international gateway and particularly in the context of Ireland’s participation in International Air Transport Agreements;
- uncertainty for airlines which may impact on future growth plans to facilitate passenger demand;
- undermining of our ambitious hub strategy for Dublin Airport; and
- potential increase in passenger fares in a scenario where unmet demand could materialise.
Following a commitment in the National Aviation Policy, 2015, a high-level strategic capacity review was commissioned and published by the then Minister for Transport in 2018. It was carried out by Oxford Economics and Cambridge Economics Policy Associates (CEPA) and identifies priorities for infrastructure provision at all three of our State airports.
While it is recognised that Dublin Airport is a key infrastructural asset for Ireland which has contributed significantly to Irish economic growth, recent challenges with progressing planning applications have delayed its development and have highlighted the economic risk of over-reliance on a single airport for much of the country’s air traffic. In this regard, the importance of our other State and Regional airports is also recognised in the Programme for Government which commits to conducting a review of National Aviation Policy to maximise use of our airports in the regions. In addition, in the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, the Government has also committed to developing a long-term strategy for Irish airports as part of the policy review.
Finally, in relation to a third terminal at Dublin Airport, I can advise that a decision on future terminal capacity requirements or the location of any such terminal that may be necessary to cater for more than 40m passengers at Dublin airport has not yet been made.
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